Geography of Krakow

Geographic coordinates of the city center of Krakow are50°04'N
19°56'E

Krakow lies in Poland almost exactly at the intersection of
the 50th parallel north latitude and the 20th meridian east
longitude. It makes the very center of continental Europe,
i.e. roughly halfway between the westernmost Lisbon in
Portugal and the easternmost Urals, and equidistant from the
Mediterranean and the arctic Barents Sea.

Krakow is situated 800 km (500 miles) east of German's
Frankfurt, 750 km west of Ukraine's Kiev, 950 km from
Florence in Italy and 980 km from Goteborg in Sweden.

With its 800,000-plus residents
Krakow is Poland’s second largest city and an
unquestioned metropolis of the country's southern half.

The city’s area of 326.8 square kilometers (0.1 percent of
Poland’s territory) spreads on both banks of the Vistula
(Wisla) river, about 219 meters above the sea level on the Malopolska Uplands at the foot of the
Carpathian Mountains. Complex geological structure of the
area makes for divers landscapes within the limits of Krakow
and in its vicinity.

The environs of Krakow

The northwest parts of the city lies on the
Krakow-Czestochowa Jura, graced with many-shaped limestone
rocks and popular for its ‘Eagle
Nests’ route linking picturesque ruins of medieval
castles. Krakow’s eastern outskirts abut on the vast
Niepolomice Forest, while the south ones border on the
scenic Beskid Foothills. The Carpathian Mountains stretch
still farther to the south, peaking with the
Tatra Mountains roughly one hundred kilometers (60 miles) off
the city. Also plentiful woods, lakes, and rivers attract
hordes of visitors to the Krakow region which remains
Poland’s prime tourist destination.